Richarlison confirms Arsenal and Chelsea approaches but reveals Antonio Conte key behind Tottenham transfer

Richarlison insists Antonio Conte was a vital factor behind his decision to join Tottenham this summer despite rival interest from Chelsea and Arsenal.

Spurs splashed out an initial £50million to land the Brazilian from Everton in July, further bolstering a formidable attacking until that already contained Harry Kane, Heung min-Son and Dejan Kulusevski.

Richarlison has begun life at Tottenham in encouraging fashion, patiently waiting for his opportunities after being suspended at the start of the season to start in each of the last four games across all competitions, netting a stylish brace in the 2-0 Champions League win over Marseille earlier this month.

Spurs were far from the only team interested in moving for the ex-Watford forward during a hectic transfer window, with Richarlison confirming that Chelsea submitted a bid for his services and that Arsenal also made an approach to Everton.

However, the 25-year-old wound up in N17 after being won over by a passionate and convincing sales pitch from Tottenham boss Conte.

“I know Chelsea made an offer, and I believe Arsenal also contacted Everton to ask about my situation, but Spurs came in and paid the fee, you know? It’s as simple as that. Everton had to sell some players to avoid a Financial Fair Play problem, and the negotiations were very brief, to be honest,” Richarlison said, per Goal, while away on international duty with Brazil, where he notched a brace in Friday’s 3-0 friendly win over Ghana in France.

“I was on holiday in Brazil when I heard that Tottenham had made Everton an offer. I was happy because they are a huge team. Then it was all about the clubs negotiating a deal, and fortunately, everything went well. Antonio Conte called me during the negotiations and expressed how much he’d like to have me on board – that was vital for my decision.”